What is public art?

Public Art resources, press and other public art sites

For current call for artists for Utah and other local and National public art projects:
Go to the Public Art Commissions page

Utah artists interested in placing images of their work in the Public Art Image Bank:
Go to the Public Art Image Bank page

The Utah Arts Council has commissioned over 200 public art works all over Utah:
Go to the Public Art Gallery

In 2010 Utah's Public Art Program will celebrate 25 years of helping artists create public art for Utah. To celebrate we have compiled a book illustrating every work commissioned with information about the project and the art. The book also includes messages from Keith Stepan, former Director of the Division of Facilities Construction and Management, and Margaret Hunt, Director of the Division of Arts and Museums as well as an essay about Utah's public art in context of the national and regional programs by Renee Piechocki, Artist and former Director of Americans for the Arts Public Art Network. The full book (7MB) is available as a pdf document at: 25 Years of Utah Public Art - A Great Beginning

Utah's Public Art Program helps bring the arts to all of the citizens of the state through the commission and installation of site-specific art for State public buildings.

The 1985 Utah Legislature passed the Percent-for-Art-Act. This statute allows 1% of construction costs of new and/or renovated state public buildings toward the commissioning of site specific art at, on, or in the facility. The Utah Arts Council was given the authority to administer this program working with the Division of Facilities Construction and Management.

Projects funded through the Utah Public Art Program represent the highest artistic quality and advance public understanding of visual art while enhancing the aesthetic environment of public places in and around state buildings.

Artists from all over Utah and the United States have created a diverse collection of over 200 public art works for Utah. The collection is a broad range of media from textiles and glass to stone and metal monumental works.

Unique selection committees are established for each building project to evaluate the site and develop guidelines for artists intending to submit proposals for site-specific commissions. The selection committee is a community partnership, comprised of representatives from the Utah Arts Council or arts community, the Division of Facilities Construction and Management, the community, the architect and representatives from the user agency. The selection committee membership changes with each project to assure appropriate representation.

Additionally, the Utah Arts Council is responsible for the conservation and maintenance of the collection. General maintenance is the responsibility of the user agency, but specific repair, maintenance or conservation is coordinated by the Public Art Program. All works of art acquired and placed throughout the state are part of the Utah Arts Council's Public Art Statewide Collection.

For more information contact:
Jim Glenn, jglenn@utah.gov or (801) 533-3585 or
Fletcher Booth, fbooth@utah.gov or (801) 533-3586